Chief Information Officer message

Recently there has been an increase in phishing attacks targeting the University of Adelaide. Phishing is a cybercrime where attackers impersonate trusted sources, including colleagues or vendors, to obtain sensitive information through deceptive emails. These emails may prompt for personal information, urging immediate action, or encourage opening suspicious files and links.

A single cyberattack can disrupt our entire operation, lead to data breaches, compromise personal  information, and harm our reputation.

It is important that all staff remain vigilant and well-informed to effectively protect yourself and the University against these cyber threats.

Phishing emails often exhibit common characteristics which can help you identify them as fraudulent. These include:
• emails with brief subject lines
• generic content that does not address recipients by name
• attachments with nondescript titles
• and attempts to share files via platforms like OneNote or SharePoint leading to fraudulent websites or malware downloads.

To protect yourself and the University, always verify the sender of your emails by checking the email address and domain name. In addition, avoid opening attachments or clicking on links from unknown sources, and be cautious with requests for sensitive information or urgent actions.

If you suspect a phishing attempt, do not interact with the email and follow the Secure IT instructions and forward any suspicious emails to ITDS mailguard.

If you have any further questions, please contact the ITDS Team.

We each have an ongoing responsibility to protect ourselves and our enterprise against malicious attacks, and I appreciate your ongoing support and vigilance. Together, we must keep our University cyber safe.

Vince Condina
Chief Information Officer